A man has been caught attempting to smuggle almost 50 snakes onto a plane.

The 28-year-old was discovered to have 41 scorpions, five vipers and three Chinese grass snakes in his luggage at Stockholm Arlanda Airport.

The snake breeder was travelling from China to Sweden, with customs officials shocked upon opening his bags, according to the Metro Daily.

The reptiles were each housed in plastic containers inside his baggage, with two of the snakes found dead.

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He has now been sentenced to 60 hours of community services for attempted smuggling. He originally claimed that the snakes were a gift.

However, the Attunda District Court pointed out that a Hong Kong courier package had been stopped while in transit to him before. The package - marked 'toys' - were actually five snakes, including two cobras, which is the world's longest venomous snake, and an endangered species.